


Walking Lessons

by writingstarsinthesky



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Original Shepard - Freeform, Recovering Shepard, Shepard and Wrex are best friends, post-destroy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-11
Updated: 2015-09-11
Packaged: 2018-04-20 04:07:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4772903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingstarsinthesky/pseuds/writingstarsinthesky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shepard needs help, and Wrex is glad to assist</p>
            </blockquote>





	Walking Lessons

Shepard has always been strong, a warrior, a pillar for everyone to hold on to. Wrex has always known her as a warrior, a friend, a fellow battle master.

To see her in a hospital bed, her strong heart kept beating by tubes and machines, makes the old part of him, the one that flew into rage born of helplessness, growl in his chest. 

She was damn tough to have survived the reaper blast and the Crucible falling to Earth, but it would be a long time before she was back on her feet again. 

Wrex steps into the hospital, and predictably he gets the uncomfortable glances. He couldn’t blame them; yes, the krogan had helped tremendously against the reapers, but a thousand years as mercenaries and thugs didn’t just get forgotten in one war. True, it was a hell of a war, and they did have more rights now; old prejudices fading thanks to Shepard. It would take awhile for humans to stop flinching though.

The nurse he likes nods at him as he passes by, buzzing him into Shepard’s room; she had scolded him for being loud and making shepard laugh hard enough to almost rupture her weak new lungs. He liked the quad on her, it reminded him of Bakara.

He can hear Shepard’s voice as he grows closer to the door, weaker than before but better than it’s been since they dug her out of that rubble.

“…Anyway, tell those assholes at Unity they can stick it; if they don’t want me using my damn biotic amp, maybe their security shouldn’t be standing around with their thumbs up their assholes.” The biotic girl he had never met is grousing to Shepard, a wry smirk twisting the commander's mouth.

“I’ll tell them, Jack. I’ve got a visitor, call you later.” She says, a little hoarsely. The other woman exchanges her goodbyes, promising a visit soon, and their omni-tools disconnect. 

The smile she gives him is weak, but there’s a flicker of her spirit in it. Not 100 watt like usual, but he’s working on it.

“Morning, Shepard. You look like death.” He chuckles, moving to stand by her bed. The room is the largest they have in the war hospital and even then its difficult to navigate with all the gifts and flowers she’s received. Saviours of the galaxy got a lot of credit.

“Morning Wrex, I feel like death.” She says dryly, smirking. He was glad she hadn’t lost her sense of humor; he’d hate to lose the only one that got his jokes. 

“How’s the legs?” He asks, settling in his chair. “Heard the docs talking about surgery outside." 

Her brow furrows, and he frowns. That was not a good expression. "Well, about the same as when you left. There’s not much more wrong with them physically– well, aside from the damage they took in my crash–” She winces, Wrex doesn’t pry. No one really wanted to know about the aftermath of Shepard’s choice. “But I still can’t seem to make them do anything. The doctors say I’ll walk when I’m ready, but…”

Her noise is frustrated, and Wrex nods, standing up. He knows that tone well, and has just the remedy.

“Then you’re going to walk.” He says simply, moving and gently (as gently as a krogan can) scooping her out of bed. 

Shepard makes an undignified noise and clings to him with her new arm, her weaker, human arm clutching the I.V. pole. He carries her out in his arms, doctors scattering in his wake, ignoring those that protest. 

When they get to a clear, open space, he sets her down on her feet, and she holds as tight as she can to him. 

“Wrex, what are you  _doing?!”_ She hisses, clinging to him. “I can’t walk!”

Wrex looks at her, lifting a leathery brow. “You couldn’t defeat the reapers, either. Didn’t stop you then.”

She looks at him and frowns, but there’s a spark in her eyes as she balances on her pale feet. He steadies her as long as he must, and there’s a moment where she’s steady. Her foot creeps forward, she rests her weight on it, cautious, and pulls away from him.

Then her knee buckles and he moves quick to catch her, holding her tight as her I.V. pole clatters to the ground and doctors come running and she laughs, grinning

“Guess you were right, Wrex;  I’m stronger than I look." 

Wrex chuckles, righting her in his arms. "Course you are, my sister wouldn’t be anything less than a true krogan!”

She would be alright. She would heal. He was about as helpless as she was, and the thought makes him smile


End file.
